NAPO Washington Reports

Congress Passes Final FY 2018 Spending Bill; NAPO Victory! Congress Passes Bill to Stop Online Sex Trafficking; NAPO’s 2018 Legislative Update Breakfast and Lobby Day

March 26, 2018

 

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Congress Passes Final FY 2018 Spending Bill;
A Pair of NAPO Priorities Attached

On March 22, less than 24 hours until the federal government was scheduled to shut down, Congress passed the final Fiscal 2018 omnibus spending measure – one giant piece of legislation that includes all twelve appropriations bills plus more than a few policy riders. The omnibus funds the federal government, its agencies and programs, through the end of this fiscal year on September 30, 2018. In addition to securing significant funding for our priority grant programs, NAPO got two of our priority legislation included in the omnibus bill: the Fix NICS Act and the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act. The omnibus also contained additional funding for school security grant programs.

 

DOJ & DHS Grant Funding

Our continued outreach to members of Congress calling for full funding for NAPO’s priority grant programs within the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) paid off in the FY18 omnibus spending measure. Congress funded the COPS Hiring Program at $225.5 million, a significant increase from the $194.5 million it was funded in FY 2017. Another program that received a large bump in funding is the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA), which went from $12 million in FY17 to $30 million in FY18. Amongst other things, MIOTCRA pays for crisis intervention team (CIT) and other mental health training for law enforcement. This increase of $18 million means that more departments can send officers to receive vital training in how to respond to calls of a person in a mental health crisis.

The Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) program got a bump in funding at $415.5 million from $376 million in FY17, but the extra money is to cover several carve-outs from the program, including the VALOR Program and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  VALOR is being funded at $10 million and PSN at $20 million. Another carve-out from Byrne JAG is $2.5 million for a national training initiative to improve police response to mental illness, showing that this issue is increasingly a priority for Congress. 

Other DOJ NAPO priorities were funded at similar levels to last fiscal year: $22.5 million for the Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) Grant Program; $20 million for the Adam Walsh Act; $22.5 million to help agencies purchase and maintain body-worn cameras; and $10 million for active-shooter training through the COPS Office. The omnibus also included $75 million in DOJ funding to help states upgrade criminal and mental health records for the National Criminal Instant Background Check System (NICS).

NAPO’s DHS priority grant programs – the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) and the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) – maintained their funding levels at $630 million and $507 million, respectively.

 

Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act

In a significant victory for NAPO, the FY18 omnibus spending bill also included the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act, which NAPO has been pushing as part of our National Police Week bill package.  This Act will eliminate the expected family contribution (EFC) used to determine financial need in the case of a Pell Grant-eligible student whose parent or guardian died in the line of duty. Additionally, children of public safety officers who died in the line of duty would qualify for the maximum Pell Grant award ($5,920 for 2017-2018) if he or she was less than 24 years old or enrolled at an institution of higher education at the time of the parent or guardian's death. Pell Grants usually are awarded only to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's or a professional degree.

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 31 officers have died in the line of duty so far this year, which is the same number of officers we had lost at this same time last year, another deadly year for law enforcement.  There were 128 line of duty deaths in 2017 and an incredible 135 line of duty deaths 2016. While we will never forget that these brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice, we must also remember the immense burden that their families bear as a result of their loss. Not only must they endure the tragic, unexpected passing of a loved one, but also the tremendous financial strains that go along with it. These families face financial difficulties ranging from an inability to pay for day-to-day necessities to the deferral or elimination of important educational opportunities for their children.

It is because of our belief that bereaved law enforcement families should not have to face so many difficult decisions that NAPO so strongly supports the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act. We thank Congressional leadership and Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) for championing this important issue.

 

Fix NICS Act

NAPO lobbied Senate leadership to take up a clean version of the Fix NICS Act before Congress adjourns for recess on March 23 and leaderships’ answer to us was to include it in the final FY18 omnibus spending bill.  The Fix NICS Act is a bipartisan bill introduced by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) that would enforce current law regarding NICS and provide resources and incentives for federal agencies and states to share regards on individuals who are prohibited from purchasing firearms under federal law. The inclusion of the Fix NICS Act is in addition to the $75 million in DOJ funding to help states upgrade records for NICS.

Current law prohibits felons, domestic violence perpetrators, and other dangerous individuals from purchasing or possessing a firearm in the United States. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is used to prevent these individuals from illegally purchasing firearms, but this system relies on states and federal agencies to share records on such dangerous and violent individuals. Unfortunately, failures to share such relevant information has led to horrific tragedy. 

Law enforcement experience the consequences of this failure frequently on the streets of our communities. Domestic dispute calls are the most dangerous types of calls not only for victims but for responding officers as well.  According to an August 2016 Report by the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office, “Deadly Calls and Fatal Encounters”, the greatest number of officer deaths were for calls for a domestic dispute. In all but one case, the officer was killed with a firearm. 

Further, there have been 19 firearm-related officer deaths in 2018, which is an astounding 111 percent increase from this time last year, making this year on track to become one of the deadliest years for officers in recent history.

The Fix NICS Act addresses reporting failures by requiring federal agencies and states to create NICS implementation plans, holding them accountable to those plans and incentivizing them to share all relevant information, including information on domestic abusers, with NICS. It also reauthorizes key programs within NICS that help ensure that individuals who are prohibited from possessing a firearm are not able to obtain them illegally.

After the horrific year we have had, both in regard to mass shooting events and firearm assaults on officers, NAPO thanks Congressional leadership for including this important commonsense legislation in the omnibus measure, helping to ensure the safety of law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.

Secure Our Schools

The FY18 omnibus also included language and funding for school safety initiatives through the DOJ’s COPS Office and the Bureau for Justice Assistance (BJA). The COPS Office received $25 million in FY18 to make grants to states for school safety programs to: enhance coordination with local law enforcement; train local law enforcement officers to prevent student violence; place metal detectors and other deterrent measures in schools; acquire and install technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency.

BJA received $50 million for school safety programs that: train school personnel and students on preventing student violence; develop and operate anonymous reporting systems for threats of school violence; develop and operate school threat assessment and intervention teams that coordinate local law enforcement and school personnel; and establish specialized training for school officials in responding to mental health crises.

The omnibus also authorized the COPS Office and BJA to receive $33 million and $67 million, respectively, over the next ten fiscal years, FY 2019-2028, for these grant programs.

The FY18 omnibus contained several victories for NAPO and our members. It is expected that this will be the last big piece of legislation passed prior to the November mid-term elections given that Congress wants to focus on the elections and does not want to tackle any controversial issues. NAPO will continue push our legislative priorities with the assumption that helping state and local law enforcement officers is non-controversial.  We also remain focused on ensuring our funding victories in the FY18 omnibus continue into the FY 2019 appropriations process, which is just under way.

If you have any questions about the grant programs mentioned above or the legislation passed as part of the omnibus, please contact Andy Edmiston at aedmiston@napo.org.

 

NAPO Victory! Congress Passes Bill to Stop Online Sex Trafficking

In a victory for NAPO, Congress passed the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act on March 21.  This bill, sponsored by Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), ensures that websites, such as Backpage.com, that facilitate traffickers in advertising the sale of unlawful sex acts with sex trafficking victims can be brought to justice.

Since its inception in 1998, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) CyberTipline has received more than 16.5 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. In 2016 alone, the CyberTipLine received 8.2 million reports of apparent child sexual abuse images, suspected “sextortion”, child sex trafficking and child sexual molestation. An increasing number of these victims are trafficked online. Unfortunately, due to numerous court rulings, survivors of online trafficking cannot sue their advertisers due to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA), which inadvertently gives broad criminal immunity to websites that facilitate sex trafficking. This significantly hampers law enforcement’s ability to enforce state trafficking laws against such websites.

The Stop Enabling Sex Trafficking Act addresses this issue by narrowly amending Section 230 to allow states and victims to bring cases against bad actors that facilitate sex trafficking, while safeguarding the freedom of the internet. NAPO is proud to have supported this legislation and thanks Senators Portman and Blumenthal and Congresswoman Wagner for their leadership on this issue.

 

NAPO’s 2018 Legislative Update Breakfast and Lobby Day

May 15, 2018 ~ Omni Shoreham Hotel

Please join NAPO on Tuesday, May 15 for our Legislative Day on Capitol Hill. Use this opportunity to lobby Congressional Representatives and Senators on behalf of your members concerning the issues which affect law enforcement. Prior to lobbying Capitol Hill, plan to attend NAPO’s Legislative Breakfast for an update on NAPO’s legislative priorities, results to date from the 115th Congress and to receive handouts to use during Hill visits.  Please note: due to The Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony, also scheduled for May 15, we will not be hosting an Awards Luncheon this year, instead presenting our Legislative Awards in the respective Senators’ & Representatives’ Offices.

Schedule of Events

Registration

Omni Shoreham Hotel

       9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Legislative Update Breakfast

Omni Shoreham Hotel

   9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Capitol Hill Visits

Capitol Hill

   11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

 

For assistance setting up your Capitol Hill appointments, contact Andy Edmiston, NAPO’s Director of Governmental Affairs, at (800) 322-6276 or aedmiston@napo.org, by May 2. 

The registration fee of $75.00 per person includes the Legislative Update Breakfast and Handouts for Congressional Visits. Advanced Registration is required.  Please contact Elizabeth Loranger, NAPO’s Director of Events, at (800) 322-6278 or eloranger@napo.org if you have any questions regarding the seminar or hotel arrangements.

 

Please Register online or complete the registration form and return to NAPO at eloranger@napo.org
or Fax to (703) 684-0515 by MAY 4, 2018.

 

Become a Law Enforcement Organization Sponsor
25th Annual TOP COPS Awards®

TOP COPS is quickly approaching. The 25th Annual TOP COPS Awards® will take place on Monday, May 14. We hope you will be able to join us in Washington, D.C. to honor these outstanding men and women. To support our efforts in producing a deserving tribute, we are asking all NAPO members to please consider becoming a Law Enforcement Organization Sponsor:

$1,000 tax-deductible donation:

Up to 2 guests at the Awards Dinner & Reception

Recognition on the NAPO Website as a TOP COPS® Sponsor

Listing in the Awards Program Book

 

$2,000 tax-deductible donation:

Up to 5 guests at the Awards Dinner & Reception

Recognition on the NAPO Website as a TOP COPS® Sponsor

Listing in the Awards Program Book

Recognition in the Washington Report as a TOP COPS® Sponsor

 

$3,000 tax-deductible donation:

Up to 10 guests at the Awards Dinner & Reception

Recognition on the NAPO Website as a TOP COPS® Sponsor

Full-Page Recognition/Advertisement in Program Book

Recognition at the Awards Ceremony

Recognition in the Washington Report as a TOP COPS® Sponsor

 

$5,000 tax-deductible donation:

Up to 10 guests at the Awards Dinner & Reception

Recognition on the NAPO Website as a TOP COPS® Sponsor

Advertisement in Program Book Inside or Outside Back Cover

Recognition at the Awards Ceremony

Recognition in the Washington Report as a TOP COPS® Sponsor

 

$7,500 tax-deductible donation:

Up to 10 guests at the Awards Dinner & Reception

Recognition on the NAPO Website as a TOP COPS® Sponsor

Advertisement in Program Book, 2-page Centerfold

Recognition at the Awards Ceremony

Recognition in the Washington Report as a TOP COPS® Sponsor

 

Donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by federal law.  The dinner value must normally be excluded from the amount claimed as a deduction.

 

To support this year’s TOP COPS Awards® please return the attached sponsorship form to NAPO by April 16, 2018.  We hope you will help us this year in honoring America’s Finest at the 24th Annual TOP COPS Awards®

 

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact NAPO’s Director of Events, Elizabeth Loranger, at (800) 322-6276 or eloranger@napo.org  with any questions or concerns.  We look forward to seeing you in May!

 

 

Please monitor NAPO’s website, www.napo.org, and Facebook page: National Association of Police Organizations, and follow us on Twitter at NAPOpolice for breaking news and updates.